


Love of the Sea

by justheretoreadhannibalfics



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, Hannibal is a sea creature, M/M, One Shot, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter, Will is a fisherman, a gift, hannibal's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:47:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27296650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justheretoreadhannibalfics/pseuds/justheretoreadhannibalfics
Summary: Hannibal has never quite understood the way the simpler creatures of the sea can find any pleasure in being simpler.This is an early birthday gift, being posted now because I am taking a hiatus during November, and didn't want to miss it.
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 11
Kudos: 112
Collections: Hannibal One Shots





	Love of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stellar_Infires](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stellar_Infires/gifts).



Hannibal didn’t understand the appeal the other creatures saw in the clearly man-made lures that would float down every so often. They were clearly designed to catch the eye of the simpler minded creatures and they did just that. The fish, with their small brains and instinct driven actions, would basically gather around each time. They would circle and swim around the shiny, eye-catching objects, until one of the least intelligent and most curious would choose themselves as the sacrifice and take the bait.

In truth, Hannibal could excuse away their behavior as what evolution had given them. Every creature had a different lot in life, and evolution was ruthless in its execution of the vision. The ones that fell prey to the creatures of the land and air were just being taken from the gene pool, making the future generations more intelligent. 

Perhaps it was pride that kept Hannibal from allowing the lesser species to be forgiven their idiocy. He took great pride in being more intelligent than they. 

These thoughts swirled through Hannibal’s mind every time he witnessed the swarming behavior, brought to pass by the trespassing objects. 

That is, until he found himself interested by one. 

The lure sank down to where he had been idly observing a small octopus as it explored a small alcove in a rock. The lure shone and sparkled with a mix of colors and textures. Hannibal had never seen one quite like it, and it intrigued him. He swam closer to it, wary of the danger it posed were he to be careless in his exploration. 

The small trinket twirled, almost playfully in the gentle current of the water, and Hannibal watched as it reflected narrow beams of light around itself in the water. It looked incredibly soft, as Hannibal recognized what must have been feathers fluffed and shifted in the moving water. Hannibal felt the instinctive urge to touch it, but chided himself for it. He was not one of the lesser creatures that fell for such banal tricks as this.

That being as it was, he dreaded the thought of another touching it before him.

Hannibal studied it a bit longer, swimming in tight circles around it and locating the hook it was skillfully concealing. The other creatures of the sea didn’t dare come near him, recognizing a predator for the power he had. 

Once he was sure he could avoid injury, Hannibal carefully reached out. He held the line just above where the lure was tied, and cut it with a clean slice of this claw. The lure was free now, but the creature responsible for it would not know. 

On a whim, perhaps, he tied the end of the line into a small bow and gave it a strong tug.

Hannibal watched as the line slowly ascended toward the surface of the water. Toward the curious creature that had shown this new thing to Hannibal.

Once the line was out of sight, Hannibal looked at the lure in his hand. The hook was still embedded in the feathers and glittering thread. He handled it carefully, turning it over in his hand and petting over the feathers that were exactly as soft as they had appeared. 

Hannibal was very pleased with his new trinket. Regardless of its intended purpose, it was beautiful, and he always tried to have beautiful things. He had a myriad of objects lined up along the walls of his home, and he would be glad to add this to the collection. It would be the first of its kind, but Hannibal couldn’t help but hope it would not be the last. 

Of course, he would not just take any lure that floated by. This one had been created for him. He felt he knew it, though of course that was ridiculous. He had once heard fishermen discuss creating lures with specific prey in mind, and he felt this one had been for him. The fact that whatever creature had created it had no way of knowing he existed, much less where he would be, did not seem to change how the universe acted. It had sent this gift to him, as well as whatever creature had been the courier of it.

\---

It had been several days since Hannibal had received his gift from the universe, and he was once again entranced. 

This lure was bright red. The same color of blood, and it almost looked like a small plume of blood in the water as the feathers again fluffed and shifted in the gentle currents. There were stripes of black and reflective bits of gold woven through it, and Hannibal wanted it again. He wanted this lure to take back to his home and place next to the first. 

Hannibal again took his time, watching and learning the pieces of the lure before he once again cut it free. He tied the line into a bow again, feeling it was only appropriate to show his appreciation for the gifts, as the giver was an unwilling participant. The creature above would not be taking prey with this lure, and Hannibal felt some obligation to give back for it.

As the line was once again pulled surface-ward, Hannibal felt a shift in the energy of the water around him. He looked below him, knowing that was the likeliest direction for an attack to originate from.

Just as he expected, the only creature foolish enough to try attacking him directly was a young shark. The beast rocketed toward him from below, likely over confident in its ability to eat him. Hannibal easily dodged the sharp teeth and jaws, making his own slice to the belly of the beast with his sharp claws. It would not be enough to kill the creature outright. Hannibal preferred to teach the predators rather than ruthlessly punish them for a mistake. 

The young shark circled back and tried another pass at Hannibal, who decided the game was done. 

Once was a mistake. Twice was a trespass. 

The shark had no way of anticipating Hannibal’s movements, as he swam much faster than most other sea creatures. The next cut to the creature opened its body and spilled its organs into the water around it. Hannibal smiled at the smell and taste of the blood as it plumed around him in the water. He watched the life leave the young beast, and took the liver in his hand to feast on. 

Hannibal was sated, and he swam away to place his newest possession alongside the first lure. As he did, scores of small scavengers and lesser hunters swarmed around the drifting corpse. It would be picked apart fairly quickly, and would be gone the next time Hannibal ventured out to the area.

As Hannibal placed the second lure next to the first, he admired it, noting that it really did look very much like a plume of blood in water. He was pleased with it.

\---

The next lure that caught Hannibal’s eye was different. It did not hide the hook as well as the others had, and it didn’t move on its own like the first had been designed to do. The feathers were several different colors, and they were soft and pretty in the diffused light. Hannibal stared at it for a few minutes before he cut it loose, tying the end of the line into a bow once more. 

This time, Hannibal’s curiosity got the better of him, and he followed the line to the surface to see the creature that had offered the lure to the sea.

The boat on the surface was smaller than most Hannibal saw. It bobbed lightly on the waves and had only a small motor fixed to the back. 

The occupant of the boat was humming a lighthearted tune as it plucked at the line. It had a head of dark curls and strong human hands. Its eyes matched the shifting color of the water that surrounded the boat, and it didn’t seem to notice Hannibal right away.

After a moment of observing the creature, it turned and locked eyes with Hannibal.

The creature grinned, sitting down in the boat near the edge. It put its elbows on the edge of the craft and leaned over to be closer to where Hannibal was treading water with his head above the surface.

“Can I help you?” the creature asked.

Hannibal tipped his head, then lifted the lure to show the creature. 

The creature laughed, nodding.

“So, you’re the one who’s been taking my lures,” it said, reeling in the line that it now knew would not catch anything, “I was wondering if you were ever going to come introduce yourself.”

Hannibal hummed in response. He watched the creature as it cut off the bow he had tied in the line, then replaced it with a new lure. This lure was not as pretty as the ones Hannibal took, so he made no objection as it was cast into the sea and disappeared below the waves. 

The creature was beautiful. It had perfect features, and they were all beautiful. The dark curls and ocean colored eyes were just as enticing as any of the lures it had tossed into the water. It moved with confidence and intelligence that Hannibal couldn’t help but admire. It was not often he found any creatures with intelligence near his own.

“Can you speak?” the creature asked at length, taking its seat again and looking back at Hannibal.

Hannibal debated whether or not to talk to the human. He had made a point of not interacting with the creatures up until then. They were a threat to everything in his domain, and he did not wish them to know of him. 

But this one seemed different.

“Yes,” Hannibal said at last, then gestured to himself, “Hannibal.”

The creature raised its eyebrows and grinned again. 

“I’m Will,” it replied, “what do you want with my lures? I’ve been wondering.”

Hannibal nodded. 

“Keep,” he said, then lifted the one he had most recently taken, “beautiful.”

Will huffed a laugh.

“Thank you,” it said, “I make them myself.”

Hannibal swam closer to the boat, right up to where Will was leaning. He lifted up so his torso was out of the water, and tapped Will on the forehead, careful not to cut it with his claw.

“Beautiful.”

Will’s eyes widened slightly, and it seemed confused for a moment. Then, it changed color a bit, turning pink in the face the same way cuttlefish did sometimes. Will laughed again, and shook its head.

“I’ve never seen any creatures like you before,” Will said.

Hannibal nodded. He waved his hand through the water in a wide arc around himself and sighed.

“Alone,” he said.

Will’s face changed, frowning and pulling its eyebrows together. Hannibal hadn’t had the chance to see many other creatures express their thoughts and feelings through their face this way. The creatures of the ocean were different. This creature was much more pleasant than most of them.

“You’re the only one?” Will asked, “that’s weird. How long have you been the only one?”

Hannibal wasn’t sure how he was expected to answer that question. He knew humans had ways of portioning time, but he did not use the same measures. He only knew days, and he didn’t bother counting them. 

“Forever,” he offered.

Hannibal saw evidence of surprise in the expression of the creature, and Will hummed softly in reply. The human rubbed a hand over its face, scratching at the short hair that was growing along its jaw. 

“That must get pretty boring,” Will said after a pause, “being all alone down there.”

Hannibal nodded, then smiled and gripped the edge of the boat.

“Not alone,” he said, pointing at Will, “beautiful. Keep.”

He was trying to explain what he wanted, and the creature would surely understand. Will was the most intelligent human Hannibal had ever come across. Surely it would know what Hannibal was saying.

“You want to keep me?” Will asked, sounding funny, “because you think I’m pretty?”

Will’s face turned pink again, and Hannibal wondered why it would be trying to use camouflage in this instance. Hannibal nodded enthusiastically. Will did understand what he was saying. Not only was this human beautiful, but it was smart. 

Will shook its head, then, and pulled away from the edge of the boat.

“Sorry,” it said, “I can’t breathe under water. I would die if you tried to keep me, and then my body would stop being pretty after a while.”

Hannibal frowned. 

Humans couldn’t breath under water? But they looked almost just like Hannibal. Hannibal had gills and lungs, and had always just sort of assumed humans did too. 

Hannibal pulled himself up into the boat, flopping down next to Will. Will seemed surprised at Hannibal’s action, and watched him with wide eyes.

Hannibal reached out and touched Will’s neck, just under the jaw. He was careful not to cut the human with his claws as he explored the skin there. He didn’t find any gills, and he frowned. 

“Breathe,” he ordered.

Will took a breath, filling its lungs and expanding its chest. It stared at Hannibal, and Hannibal wondered if it was afraid like the creatures of the sea. He was a predator, after all. Did humans know that?

Hannibal sighed and pulled his hand away as Will let go of the air it had filled its lungs with.

“Lungs,” Hannibal stated, “no gills.”

Will blinked.

“That’s right,” it said, “ I don’t have gills. That’s why I can’t breathe under water. You have lungs and gills, don’t you.”

Hannibal nodded, tilting his head to show off the gills on his neck. Will looked at them with fascination. Then, it slowly reached out to touch Hannibal the same way Hannibal had touched Will. Will’s fingers were gentle when they ran over Hannibal’s sensitive gills. Hannibal shivered under the touch. There were no creatures in the ocean who were so tender.

“They're beautiful,” Will said, pulling his hand away and smiling softly.

Hannibal smiled. He pointed at Will.

“Keep,” he said, then pointed to himself, “Hannibal.”

Will tipped its head with a frown.

“You want  _ me _ to keep  _ you _ ?” he asked. 

Hannibal nodded. 

“Beautiful. Keep. Will. Hannibal.”

Will laughed softly. It shook its head and rubbed its face again. 

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Will said, “I can’t just keep you. You probably need to be in water to survive for long. I don’t have any way to keep you like that. Not to mention the ethical problems with this situation. I mean, you’re clearly an intelligent creature, and that makes everything grey. I don’t even know what keeping you would entail. I don’t know what you need to stay alive, and happy.”

Hannibal frowned. Will was saying a lot of things, and it sounded like it didn’t want to keep Hannibal. Hannibal didn’t understand how that could be. 

“Beautiful?” he asked, touching his gills lightly.

Will had said it thought his gills were beautiful. So how could it not want to keep Hannibal?

Will nodded.

“They are,” it said.

Hannibal pointed at himself.

“Then keep,” he said, then pointed at Will, “beautiful. Keep. Happy.”

Will sighed, dropping its head to its chin touched its chest. The dark curls of hair fell in front of Will’s face, and Hannibal stared. 

“I can’t just-” Will started, but stopped when it felt Hannibal’s clawed fingers combing through its hair. Will looked up at Hannibal, trying not to move its head for fear of being cut by Hannibal’s claws.

“Beautiful,” Hannibal cooed, feeling the soft and silky strands between his fingers. There was nothing under the sea that matched this creature in appearance and touch. It was the most beautiful thing Hannibal had ever seen. If Will were able to live under the water, Hannibal would put it in his collection and look at it every day.

“Hannibal,” Will said.

Hannibal blinked. He had not heard another creature say his name in a very long time. It was another thing about Will that was beautiful. Will’s voice as it created the sounds was the most beautiful thing Hannibal had ever heard. 

“Will,” Hannibal replied, taking his hands from Will’s hair.

Will shook its head.

“People can’t just keep whatever they think looks nice,” it said, “especially other people. You are close enough to a human that I can’t just keep you because I like you. That’s not how it works.”

Hannibal frowned. That was how it worked for him. Anything he wanted, he just had to take. There were no rules about what he could or could not have.

But, maybe that would be different if he was not alone. If there were other creatures like him, with intelligence and desires, maybe they would want the same things he did. Maybe they would have to make rules about what they could have or not. He would have to fight for what he desired, and make exceptions when there were disagreements. 

Was that how humans lived? There were so many of them. How did any of them have anything beautiful, if they all had to agree on who was allowed to possess them?

Hannibal looked up at Will.

“Want?” he asked.

“Do I want to keep you?” Will asked.

Hannibal nodded.

Will didn’t answer right away. It looked over Hannibal, considering. Hannibal wondered if his gills were the only thing Will would find beautiful about him. If that were so, there may be no hope in having Will keep him. 

“Yes,” Will said at length, its voice soft.

Hannibal smiled.

“I want,” he said, “so keep. Beautiful. Keep. Happy.”

Will sighed again. 

“It must be nice to live in the ocean,” Will said, “where there are no rules unless you decide to make them. Being alone means you don’t have to do what anyone else wants. It must be nice.”

Hannibal shook his head. He pointed at Will again.

“Nice. Alone. Beautiful. Keep,” he declared.

Will didn’t respond. It seemed like Will was tired of trying to tell Hannibal no. That didn’t mean it had decided the answer was yes.

Hannibal shifted forward, kneeling next to Will and careful not to tip the boat over. He took one of Will’s hands in his own, careful not to hurt the creature. He looked up at the sea colored eyes.

“Please,” he said.

Will smiled softly. 

“Alright,” Will said, “Once I catch a couple fish, I’m headed home. If you have anything you want to bring when we go, you should go get it. If you don’t like it at my house, I’ll bring you back tomorrow.”

Hannibal nodded. Will watched him expectantly.

“Do you have anything you want to bring?” he asked.

Hannibal pressed his lips together, thinking about what he had in his little home down below. If humans didn’t have beautiful things just because they wanted them, perhaps he should get some of his beautiful things to share with Will. 

Hannibal moved to the edge of the boat and stared down into the water. He turned back to Will.

“Stay,” he said.

Will nodded.

“I’ll be right here when you come back. Don’t worry.”

Hannibal nodded and dove over the side into the cool water. His gills felt sudden relief for the use, and he made his way down quickly. He swam as fast as he could, back to his home to get some items from his collection.

The first things Hannibal knew he wanted to bring with him were the lures he had taken from Will. They were his prized possessions, and he would not leave them behind for a scavenger to find in his absence. He placed them all into a shell to keep the sharp hooks from piercing his skin. He added a couple small rocks that struck his fancy, and picked another shell as well. The rest of the collection could stay. He didn’t need as many beautiful things if he had Will to look at every day.

Hannibal made his way back to the boat, and felt relieved it was still there. He had doubted Will, only a bit, when it had promised it would wait for Hannibal. Will was reeling in a large fish as Hannibal swam up, and he waited until the fish had been properly put away, and the line cast again, before he reached up and grabbed the edge of the boat. 

Will watched with a smile as Hannibal carefully placed his beautiful things into the boat and hauled himself in after them. 

Hannibal lay on his back and scooped the small collection of trinkets into his hands, setting them on his abdomen.

“So,” Will said, moving closer, “what do you have?”

Hannibal smiled and held up the shell to show Will. He took each item out one at a time to show to Will, who watched with interest. Hannibal made sure to save his favorites for last, which were of course the lures.

Hannibal held up the first lure with reverence.

“Beautiful,” he said solemnly, cradling it gently in his fingers. He petted the feathers fondly and smiled at it. Then he pointed at Will. “Made.”

Will nodded.

“Yeah. I made that,” it agreed.

“Special. Me,” Hannibal said, pointing back to himself.

Will considered that. It looked at the lure, then scanned over Hannibal’s form and thought about it for a few moments.

“I guess so,” it agreed, “I didn’t know why I made it that way when I did. I couldn’t picture the fish I wanted to catch with it, but I guess it must have been you.”

Hannibal held up the second one. The red one.

“Beautiful,” he said, “blood.”

Will smiled.

“Yeah. It does look like blood, huh,” it said.

Hannibal nodded. He moved over to the edge of the boat and waved for Will to follow him. When they were both peering over the edge into the water, Hannibal slowly lowered the lure under the surface and they watched the feathers plume and float around the hook.

“Blood,” Hannibal said again.

“That’s what blood looks like in the water?” Will asked.

Hannibal smiled and nodded. He pulled the lure back out of the water and placed it with his other items before he lifted the most recent lure.

“Beautiful,” he said, “me?”

Will laughed and sat back in the boat. 

“Yeah. I made that one with you in mind. I wanted to meet whoever kept taking my lures and sending a bow back in their place. I’m glad it worked.”

Hannibal smiled. He put the lure back with the others. The fishing line over the edge of the boat pulled sharply, and Will quickly took it in hand to test the strength of the fish and gauge the length of the battle ahead of it. Hannibal watched with fascination as this beautiful creature carefully began reeling in the line, and paused at random intervals. Hannibal would guess Will was trying to allow the fish to tire itself out and make the catch easier. 

Hannibal watched as the muscles in Will’s arms and shoulders tensed and rolled under its skin. He had the sudden desire to feel those muscles with his hands and with his tongue. He wondered if Will would taste salty like the sea from all its time out here, and what other tastes it might have on its skin. 

Regardless, Hannibal refrained from tasting Will just then out of respect for the hunt it was engaged in. It was not the same type of hunt Hannibal engaged in when he was in need of food, but it was admirable in its own right. 

Will pulled in another large fish and carefully packed it away into a cooler with the others it had caught during the day.

Wiping some sweat from its brow, Will turned back to Hannibal.

“You ready to go?” Will asked.

Hannibal nodded. He was excited to see what kind of place humans lived in, and especially this beautiful human. Hannibal wanted to learn everything about Will, and he was going to have the chance once they were at the human’s home.

Will nodded in reply and sat at the back of the boat. He started the engine and they started off on the journey. Hannibal turned his face into the wind, marvelling in the new sensations. He felt the boat jump and bob under him as it went over the waves, and he felt the spray of the water over his skin from the vessel cutting through the water. It was beautiful in its own right, and Hannibal wished it were something he could capture and keep the way he did with his other things. 

Looking back at Will, the human had its eyes closed as the wind blew through its hair and tossed it wildly around its face. Will had a soft smile fixed on its face, and Hannibal thought it looked all the more beautiful for the combination of beautiful things. He would have liked to capture Will in the moment, to keep. How unfortunate it was that he could not preserve moments the same way he could objects.

Will opened its eyes and looked back at Hannibal, who smiled in response. They were both quiet for the journey, though the sounds of the motor and the water were capable of filling the air between them. 

\---

“I’m glad the dock is private,” Will said as it tied the boat to a piling and helped Hannibal up out of it. 

Hannibal tipped his head in question, and Will smiled.

“That means no one is going to see me bringing a strange, naked sea creature man into the house out of the blue,” it explained, “I wouldn’t really enjoy having to explain that to anyone.”

Hannibal considered that as Will pulled the other things out of the boat and led him up to a house. 

He wondered what the other humans would do if they discovered him. The other humans were not as beautiful as this one, and they would likely be less kind. They might hurt or try to eat him if he was discovered by any of them. He really didn’t have any way of knowing. He just knew that he had hidden from humans for his entire life, but this one was his, and it was beautiful.

Will set the things down on the steps of the house and pulled off its shirt. Will put it over Hannibal’s head and helped him put his arms through the sleeves. 

“I should have thought of that before,” Will said, then opened the door, “That at least covers you most of the way. Go on in and make yourself comfortable while I fix some stuff up.”

Hannibal nodded, walking into the house. It was strange, but he assumed it was just human. The way humans liked things must be this way. 

Hannibal saw the table and carefully set his things down on it before venturing further into the house. 

If humans were not allowed to just have beautiful things because they wanted them, then Will must have been breaking the rules. There were so many beautiful things in the house, Hannibal was very nearly star-struck by it all.

There were small model boats on shelves lining the walls, and lures in frames, and shells of every kind. The entire house seemed to be filled with beautiful things, and Hannibal knew the human who lived there was able to make beautiful things as well. 

If humans were capable of creating beautiful things, would Hannibal be able to learn to as well? Hannibal had only ever destroyed the creatures around him, in order to either eat them or teach others to avoid him. He had always seen their destruction as beautiful in their own way, but creation was more permanent. The lures didn’t decompose, and they were not consumed.

Hannibal curled up on a soft cushioned place for sitting, relishing the feeling of the plush substance against his skin. He rubbed his gills against it, remembering the feeling of Will’s fingers against them. 

Will walked in and plopped himself down next to Hannibal with a sigh.

“You like the couch?” Will asked, leaning back and relaxing.

Hannibal pulled himself over and set his cheek against Will’s thigh, humming in agreement.

Will huffed in amusement and one of its hands dropped onto Hannibal’s head. Will carded its fingers through Hannibal’s hair in much the same way Hannibal had done to him. 

Will’s fingers were soft and round, unlike Hannibal’s sharp claws. Hannibal looked at his claws as he laid there, and he frowned. He was not built to be gentle. He was sharp and rough. Will was soft. Will was beautiful.

“You have salt crystalizing in your hair,” Will said softly, a smile in its voice.

Hannibal didn’t respond. He was still staring at his claws.

Will hummed curiously and shifted on the couch.

“Are you alright?” it asked.

Hannibal sat up and stared at Will’s face. The eyes that matched the sea Hannibal had just left, and the dark curls of hair. Will was soft and beautiful.

Hannibal didn’t know how to express his disappointment in himself. He frowned and looked down at his hands. He flexed his fingers, the claws that were created to hurt others.

Will looked down at Hannibal’s hands as well, and understanding dawned on its face.

“You don’t like your hands,” Will said softly.

Hannibal reached out and carefully took one of Will’s hands in his claws. 

“Soft,” he said, then looked up to Will’s face again. He lifted a hand and touched Will’s curls. “Soft.” He pressed one claw carefully to Will’s plush, red lips. “Soft.”

Will turned red again and it sighed.

“You’re upset that you aren’t soft,” Will said.

Hannibal nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. He felt the soft fabric of the shirt Will had put him in, and he wanted to hate it. He wanted to hate the shirt for being able to accomplish what he couldn’t.

Will sighed and stood up, pulling Hannibal up along with it. 

“I’m gonna show you something,” Will said, pulling Hannibal into another room.

Hannibal waited as Will dug through some boxes. Hannibal wasn’t sure what Will was doing, but he tried not to tear the stupidly soft shirt to shreds. All that would do is once again prove that he was not soft, and all he could do is destroy.

After a moment, Will straightened up with a grunt, holding something in its arms. 

Will dropped the object on a table with a thud and turned back to Hannibal. Will waved Hannibal over to the table, and Hannibal frowned down at the object.

“This is a deer,” Will said, tipping it up so Hannibal could look at it better, “one of the things they are most known for is their antlers.”

Will put a hand on the long protrusions from the animal head. 

Hannibal reached out and touched the antlers as well. They were hard and cold, and they had several points. They were almost like his claws, in a way. He tipped his head at the creature curiously.

Will nodded.

“But here, feel its nose and muzzle,” Will said, guiding Hannibal’s hand down to the brown fur.

It was soft.

Hannibal pressed his lips together and stared at the creature. He ran his claws and palms over the soft head, then the antlers, and then the fur again. 

The deer was soft, but it was also sharp. He didn’t understand how that could be.

Will sighed, laying the deer back down and stepping toward Hannibal.

“You’re like that,” Will said softly, then lifted a hand to Hannibal’s hair, “soft here.” the hand dropped and took one of Hannibal’s, “sharp here.”

Hannibal suddenly understood. He took Will’s hands in his claws, being gentle in order to avoid hurting him. He pressed soft kisses to Will’s soft skin.

“Soft,” he said.

Will grinned. Will pulled Hannibal’s hands to himself and reciprocated the gesture, kissing Hannibal’s hand gently.

“Sharp,” Will replied, smiling.

Hannibal smiled. He pulled Will up against him and kissed him. Will was warm, and soft. He was beautiful.

Will pulled away, smiling and shaking his head.

“You know what, Hannibal?” he asked happily, “I’ve always loved the ocean. I never thought part of it would love me back.”

Hannibal pressed his nose to the place where Will’s neck connected to his shoulder, breathing. He gave into the urge and opened his mouth to lick along Will’s skin. Will did taste like salt, the way Hannibal had imagined, but he also tasted earthy and sweet.

Will’s breathing changed in Hannibal’s ear, and his heart started beating faster. Hannibal could feel Will’s pulse under his tongue.

\---

Will’s skin became wet with his sweat, making him taste more of salt every minute. He tasted like the ocean, and Hannibal had never felt so at home. Hannibal loved him, being careful not to harm him with his claws or teeth. 

Will curled his fingers into Hannibal’s hair. One part of Hannibal that was soft instead of sharp.


End file.
